MONMOUTH, Ore. – Playing for the two seniors stepping on the New P.E. Building floor for the last time, the Western Oregon volleyball team bounced back from a sluggish first set to record a 3-1 victory over Montana State Billings Thursday night in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action. Game scores were 13-25, 25-20, 29-27, 25-15.
 
The Wolves (10-15, 7-11 GNAC) snapped a two-match skid and closed out the final homestand with two wins and two losses. Montana State Billings dropped to 7-20 overall and 5-12 in league play after snapping a three-match win streak.
 
Western Oregon had three players reach double-figures in kills. Leading the way was junior Alisha Bettinson with a match-best 19 kills on a .268 hitting percentage. She added nine digs, two blocks and one set assists for 21.0 total points. Eight of Bettinson's 19 kills came in a big second set that saw WOU blast 22 team kills.
 
Sophomore Amanda Short recorded 13 kills (.306 pct.) and three digs, while fellow sophomore Mariella Vandenkooy matched with 13 kills (.258 pct.) and two blocks. Senior Paige Orth added six kills and six digs.
 
Senior libero Christie Colasurdo led the Wolves in digs with 21, one on four players with 10 or more digs, and sophomore setter Maddie Mehciz notched a double-double with 48 assists and 10 digs.
 
MSUB took the early lead in the match with a dominating 25-13 first game victory. The Yellowjackets used a 9-2 run to break a 3-3 tie, and extended the lead to 20-9 with a late 5-0 rally. Bettinson led WOU with three kills as the home team was outhit in the opening set, .433 to .125.
 
The Wolves pulled out game two to equalize the match with a highly offensive team performance. The set was knotted up on 12 different occasions before Western Oregon broke an 18-all stalemate with a Short kill. WOU closed out the set with three straight points, two on Bettinson swings and the game-winner on a swing from Mehciz on an overpass to finish off the set. The Wolves tallied a season-best 22 kills and hit .367 collectively.
 
As exciting as game two was, game three ramped up the excitement further. The Wolves fell in an early hole trailing 4-1 but stormed back with a 6-0 spurt on Colasurdo's serve for a 15-11 lead. Game three had another 12 ties and six lead changes. MSUB had three game points wiped away while the Wolves had one opportunity squandered. Trailing 27-26, WOU went back to Bettinson for a tying kill. AN attack error and subsequent kill from Vandenkooy allowed WOU to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Western Oregon clinched the match with a 25-15 victory in the fourth game, with Bettinson's four kills and Short's three leading a team .323 hitting percentage. WOU held the Yellowjackets to a match-low 11 kills in the fourth (.100 pct).
 
Montana State Billings was led by a triple-double from setter Angala Jensen (37 assists, 14 digs, 10 kills) and double-digit kill performances from Stormy Siemion (14) and Ashlynn Ward (11).
 
Western Oregon closes out GNAC play next week on the road. WOU travels to Central Washington on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday (2 p.m. MT).